The City of West Hollywood and WeHo Pride producer JJLA have unveiled the highly-anticipated Icons for this year's WeHo Pride Parade, celebrating the vibrant and influential figures in the LGBTQ+ community.
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Laith Ashley, Niecy Nash-Betts & Jessica Betts, and Melissa McCarthy have been chosen as this year's Icons for their exceptional contributions to promoting LGBTQ+ visibility, social justice, and expanding representation in pop culture.
Jeff Consoletti, the founder of JJLA and a WeHo Pride producer, emphasized the significance of amplifying queer voices and allyship, especially for transgender and drag community members, during a time when the LGBTQ+ community faces threats nationwide. In a statement, Consoletti declared: “At a time when our community is being threatened across the nation, it’s more important than ever to raise queer voices and those of our allies by providing a platform to amplify their support.”
This year, RuPaul's Drag Race, the Emmy-winning, long-running reality drag competition series, will be celebrated as the Drag Icon. Laith Ashley, a model, actor, and activist, will be honored with the Breakthrough Icon Award. Acknowledging their trailblazing spirit, actress Niecy Nash-Betts and singer-songwriter Jessica Betts will be recognized as Trailblazer Icons. The married couple made history by becoming the first same-sex partners to grace the cover of Essence magazine in 2022. And Melissa McCarthy, the esteemed comedy actress, has been designated as WeHo Pride's 2023 Ally Icon.
On Sunday, June 4, 2023, West Hollywood will come alive with the annual WeHo Pride Parade, a vibrant and imaginative tradition that embraces LGBTQ+ representation, inclusion, and progress along Santa Monica Boulevard.
WeHo Pride's annual OUTLOUD music festival, also produced by JJLA, will offer three days of lineups, commencing with a free night on Friday. The Friday lineup includes headliners Idina Menzel, Jessie Ware, Shangela, and Tinashe, along with performances by JORDY, Tolliver, and DJ Venessa Michaels. The festival will continue on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4, with headliners Grace Jones and Carly Rae Jepsen respectively. The weekend will also feature performances by Passion Pit, Orville Peck, Santigold, Princess Nokia, Yung Bae, La Roux, Meet Me @ The Altar, Jodie Harsh, Rubio, Cub Sport, and Black Belt Eagle Scout, and more.
For further details on WeHo Pride weekend, please visit www.wehopride.com.
